Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
It views loyalty as part of justice—requiring honesty, careful judgment in choosing who to trust, and clear boundaries to prevent self-destruction.
Core Principles of Stoic Loyalty
Virtue over Convenience: True loyalty means standing by someone or your values when it is hard, private, or inconvenient, not just when it is easy.
Thoughtful Selection: Ancient Stoics like Seneca advised passing judgment and testing a person before fully committing to the bond of friendship.
Healthy Boundaries: Loyalty should never compromise your own integrity, personal growth, or peace of mind.
No Expectation of Return: You act with good intention and fairness, but you do not demand or expect absolute loyalty back, which prevents bitterness and disappointment.
A truly stoic person is calm, self-controlled, and emotionally resilient. Rather than being a cold or unfeeling robot, a stoic manages their reactions, refuses to panic in a crisis, and accepts things they cannot change while focusing their energy on actions they can control.
Unknown : Dear All,
I'm proposing, nay, advocating, a stay away by veterans to the Merdeka celebrations. We have so far gone unheard of our plea for fair pensions adjustments, including our memorandums unreplied. We have been humiliated, described as naive and also ungrateful. Are we all of these? Certainly not! We protected the nation's sovereignty, stayed loyal to God, King and Country.
What do we get in return? Imbeciles who get lifetime pensions for warming seats, and watching us on parade, sweating under a hot sun. They hold the solution to our dilemma which they created. Our own foolishly complied, ignorant of the consequences. Till today the likes of MMR, Rafique and others battling on our behalf face unbelievable obstacles.
Let us, once and for all show solidarity and be seen to be disgusted. We don't say boycott, we say not attending. We can also use semantics like they did to avoid the term pay revision. We can get attend C also, like they do for court appearances. Of course the politicians will twist our reluctant actions as disrespectful to the nation and King. That's their interpretation, as usual, they can do no wrong.
Enough is enough. Let's make this a historic last stand of veterans who signed a blank cheque with blood. Let's do this for our brothers at arms who died in battle or in retirement leaving widows behind.
Only we know the expression " WE LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND". They do not and hence don't deserve our respect.
HIDUP VETERAN!
Shelldrake : I understand your gut feeling of frustration.
And whatever course of action veterans eventually choose, it should be pursued with dignity, unity, and respect for the nation we served. Our disagreement is not with Malaysia. Our disagreement is with a system that appears to have forgotten those who helped protect Malaysia.
If veterans choose not to attend a national celebration, let it not be portrayed as disrespect for Merdeka, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, or the Nation.
Quite the opposite.
It should be understood as a painful reminder from those who once wore the uniform:
“We served this country with pride. We only ask that our country now show that it remembers us.”
Let us therefore remain united, disciplined, and dignified. Let our voices be strong, but let our conduct remain worthy of the uniform we once wore.
